and... is your MULCH safe? Cocoa mulch is as toxic as chocolate. Yes, do check what your mulch contains...Some have dyes, chemicals to prevent rot and infestation and are quite toxic. And even a "safe mulch" ingested by a playful puppy become an intestinal obstruction which can cause death. Pretty rocks, are much safer and easier to maintain. And they hose off clean! And it is an easy do it yourself project. And you can really let your creativity show off here. Everything from colors to design. For some ideas, go here:

And while on topic...of DANGERS... and TOXICITY...... dusting off the old list of foods that are toxic to dogs:

CHOCOLATE: All chocolate is bad for dogs. – dark chocolate, especially baker’s chocolate, is the worst. When a dog eats chocolate, the dog has basically ingested POISON. Time is of the essence. Once it starts breaking down into blood stream you are fighting multi system failure and death. Chocolate contains a substance called Theobromine (similar to caffeine), which in toxic doses can cause heart attacks, blood pressure spikes, retinal damge, kidney damage, death. As little as 2 oz baker’s chocolate can be fatal for a small dog. If you suspect your dog has gotten into chocolate call your vet immediately.

GRAPES/RAISINS: Always TOXIC. Grapes and raisins are TOXIC fruit for dogs. They cause acute renal (kidney) failure. As little as a handful at a time can be deadly.

ONIONS: A substance in onions, disulfide, is harmless to humans but toxic to not only dogs but cats, horses, sheep and cattle. It causes hemolytic anemia, and as little as 2 slices a week can damage red blood cells, impairing their ability to carry oxygen.
NOTE: Garlic and onion and shallots are in the same family, while small amounts of garlic will not harm your dog, too much is not good.

LIVER: In small amounts liver is very good for your dog (less than 3 servings a week). Large amounts cause vitamin A toxicity (hypervitaminosis A). This can lead to bone problems, weight loss and anorexia. Also, never feed liver if your dog is taking vitamin A supplements, and always cook it before feeding.

BONES: Caution here. Raw meaty bones and chicken bones are prone to splinter and lodge in the throat, or worse, the intestines, in which case they can perforate the lining causing internal bleeding and possibly death. This doesn’t mean “no bones” – ask the butcher for soup bones, bring water to a full boil then cook the bones for approximately 20 minutes (depending on size). Raw food proponents encourage freezing the bones first to kill off bacteria.Obviously your source for raw food is very important.

RAW EGGS: Cooked eggs are a very healthy treat for dogs, raw egg whites contain a protein called Avidin. This protein depletes your dog of B vitamins, specifically Biotin, which is essential to growth and coat condition. Also, raw eggs may contain bacteria, such as Salmonella.

RAW DOUGH: Never give yeasty raw dough to a dog. the yeast releases gases as it expands. this can lead to bloat, which is deadly in dogs.
Yeast also ferments, which would be the same as feeding your dog alcohol.. too much alcohol in a dog is the same as too much for a
human.. dogs can just as easily suffer alcohol poisoning.

RAW MEAT/POULTRY: Once again bacteria are the main problem – Salmonella and Clostridium, both can be very serious and costly to treat. IF you are doing raw foods, the safety of your food chain lies in your source. If you have any doubts... cook it first.
NOTE: Best to avoid pork, especially bacon (which contains sodium nitrate).

MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS: FYI, 50% of dogs are lactose intolerant (just like people!) – they don’t produce the enzyme Lactase, therefore they are unable to break down Lactose (milk sugar). This can cause gas, diarrhea and abdominal discomfort. Goat cheeses are safe as they do not contain lactase.

NUTS: Walnuts can cause gastroenteritis and are considered poisonous to dogs. Macadamia nuts contain an unknown compound, which can cause muscle tremors, weakness and paralysis of the hindquarters – luckily these symptoms last a short time. In general, nuts are high in phosphorus and may contribute to the formation of bladder stones.
NOTE: Peanuts are a legume, “from the earth”, not grown on trees. They are not harmful when used in small amounts.

POTATO: Cooked and mashed potatoes are good for dogs, but green potatoes contain. poisonous alkaloids called Solanum which are toxic to both people and dogs.

TOMATO PLANTS: Stems and leaves contain oxalates, which can cause bladder stones.
NOTE: The fruit itself is not the culprit, however high amounts of vitamin C can cause gastrointestinal distress.

RHUBARB: This plant (especially the leaves) also contains oxalates.

TURKEY SKIN: Known to cause acute Pancreatitis in dogs because it is so high in fats. Would you eat 3 sticks of butter in one sitting and be ok? No.... soooo.... just discard that skin.

PIPS: Found in the seeds of apples, pears, plums, peaches and apricots – ALL CONTAIN ARSENIC!

NUTMEG: Is a hallucinogen in dogs.

BABY FOOD: Just be careful that the baby food you are feeding doesn’t contain onion powder – some do. See onion poisoning for more information.

MUSHROOMS: as in people... wild mushrooms are best left IN THE WILD. Generally not something you want to feed your dog because of the fungal properties...

BROCCOLI: There has been a bit of confusion where broccoli is concerned. Broccoli is very good for dogs, however, if the daily intake exceeds more than 10% of the animals diet – problems can occur. The toxic substance is isothiocyanate and can cause gastrointestinal irritation.

Well, this is just a start. BE SAFE not SORRY

'vie who spent yesterday at the vet... and managed to throw up on just about every surface imaginable... Today.... I am acting as if I feel better, but momma is on guard....

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It took me a while to find a nice home. Not all humans are as nice as my family. Now that I've found them (and worked so hard to train them), I'm keeping them. Forever. So paws off!

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